Hearts Series Book One: Shattered Hearts
by Never-Say-Never96
Summary: You made the characters, now lets see their stories. When falsely exiled for killing the love of his life, Duskflame decides he is going to find out the truth of her death. And he's willing to do anything to do so. T for safety. NEW PENNAME
1. Prologue

**Thankyou again for all the cats you guys made. Nows its time to see what happens.**

**I tried to make this story as... twisting and mysterious as possible, but I'm horrible at that. Making it so every part of the plot leads up to that one big event where everything gets revealed. But that's so hard to do, and I praise every writed who has done that. **

**But hopefully you guys like my story. There could probably be more action, but there will be if this is good enough to make a sequel to.**

**The prologue will be the only part in first person. Its just showing you the before events of this story that lead up to the exiles.**

I had loved her. I do admit that, I'm not in denial. I loved Violetpaw.

The way her paws seemed to float over the ground, the way her blue eyes sparkled even in the darkest of nights, hardest of hours. The way her pitch black pelt shone in the sunlight, how soft it felt when she accidently brushed against me. The way her laughter sounded, like the wind flowing easily through the trees, or the river running over stones. The way her voice was like bird song in the morning, birds calling to each other softly at sunset.

I loved everything about her.

I still remember her so vividly, even though she died nearly 12 moons ago. I remember every hunting patrol with her, when she crouched so perfectly, and killed prey, though did it so gracefully and silently it was as if it never happened. Her even breathing at night when they slept, how she stayed by me every Gathering. I loved to show her off to the other Clan apprentices.

The day she told me she loved me was the best day of my life.

_"Gathering tonight, you excited?" I meowed, trotting over to where she sat by the fresh-kill pile. _

_Violetpaw shrugged with a wave of her black tail. "It'll be just like every other." she meowed, voice bored, but I could see nervousness, anticipation in her eyes._

_"I guess." I meowed, sitting across from her and curling my own black tail around my paws. Whenever we went to the Gathering, we were mistaken as twins. _

_"Can I... talk to you?" she suddenly meowed, and I tilted my head, though excitement and hope soared inside of me. _

_"Sure. Out in the forest?" she simply nodded and stood stiffly, trotting toward the entrance. It was all I could do to follow, mesmerized by her very existance. I hardly noticed were in the forest until she stopped and turned toward me. I stopped abruptly, as quick as I could, so I wouldn't barrel into her. _

_"Are you okay?" I meowed, cocking my head. What she said next surprised me._

_"I-I think I love you!" Her eyes got wide when the words tumbled so fast from her mouth, and she blinked, all the words coming out as one._

_I was frozen to the spot, eyes wide, tail flicking. "Really?"_

_She looked dismayed, as if this wasn't the response she waited, and I quickly meowed, "I feel the same way!" She let out a long sigh, and after that we talked for what seemed like forever, the sun had begun to set, and I was going to the Gathering. We returned to camp, and later on I left. _

She died that night. I never saw her again.

I grieved for long after that, the first few days were the hardest. I didn't even come out of the den, and others knew to leave me alone. After a week or so, Russetpaw coaxed me out of the den, telling me it was time to get back to normal duties.

I was never the same. It's now 12 moons after her death, and I'm stil grieving. I can be normal at times, but the name still hurts, and patrolling the SunClan border, where her body, wet, but no scratches, was found. Every time I go, I remember walking back from the Gathering, excited to see her again, and finding her there.

Tail dragging in the stream.

**Okay, theres the very short prologue. I just wanted y'all to get the gist of the relationship and how she died. So, please review!**


	2. Allegiances

**Okay, here are the allegiances. I only submitted two cats, and the rest are the readers made up ones. :).**

**If you don't know which one you made up, go to the Make A Warrior story that I made before this one, since these allegiances are taken right out of there.**

**Anyway, here ya go.**

**ALLEGIANCES **

DAWNCLAN

**Leader: **Swiftstar: White she-cat with ginger patches on her sides. Mate: Sandfire, mother of Freebird, Mouseshadow, Hawkpaw, and Runningpaw

**Deputy: **Blazeclaw: Reddish-brown, almost ginger, tom with with amber eyes Apprentice, Whisperpaw

**Medicine Cat: **Mosspath: White she-cat with black and brown splotches and bright green eyes  
Apprentice, Runningpaw: Dark brown tom with amber eyes

**Warriors:**

Russettail: Whiter she-cat with bright blue eyes  
Apprentice, Hawkpaw

Lionheart: Ginger and white tom with green eyes, black markings on his eyes and paws, white paws and tail

Duskflame: Black tom with a flame-like ginger spot on his forehead and green eyes  
Apprentice, Redpaw

Songfeather: Black she-cat with green eyes

Sandfire: White tom with a ginger star on his forehead, Mate: Swiftstar Kits: See Swiftstar

Freebird: White she-cat with blue eyes

Mouseshadow: White tom with blue eyes. Twin of Freebird

Rabbitleap: dark brown tom with gray ears

Lightfoot: Ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Rosetail: Tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentices:**

Redpaw: reddish- ginger tabby tom with green eyes

Hawkpaw: White tom with dark brown stripes on his side

Runningpaw: dark brown tom with amber eyes. Medicine Cat Apprentice

Whisperpaw: Fluffy brown she-cat with blue eyes

**Queens:**

Patchpelt: young black and white she-cat with green eyes. Mate: deceased. Kits: Smallkit (Pale tabby she-cat with blue eyes) and Turtlekit (Light brown tom)

Fawnflight: Light brown she-cat with white flecks and amber eyes. Mother of Rabbitleaps kits: Graykit (Light gray she-cat with green eyes) Oakkit (dusty brown tom with amber eyes) and Forestkit (Dark brown tom with amber eyes)

**Elders:**

Heatherfall: light brown she-cat with amber eyes that lost a foot to a badger, Mother of Swiftstar

Whitebelly: badly scared black tom with a white belly, blind, father of Swiftstar

SUNCLAN

**Leader: **Nightstar: Pure black tom with green eyes, Mate: Gingerfire, Kits: See Gingerfire

**Deputy: **Specklesong: Speckled she-cat with dark blue eyes  
Apprentice, Riverpaw

**Medicine Cat: **Frostheart: White she-cat with black flecks

**Warriors:**

Eaglefeather: dark brown tom with blue eyes  
Apprentice, Applepaw

Flamecloud: Dark ginger tabby with blue eyes

Blacktail: Black tom with white markings

Heathereyes: White she-cat with blue eyes  
Apprentices, Gorgepaw

Mistclaw: Silver tabby tom with amber eyes

Sunscorch: Ginger she-cat with blue eyes

Blackclaw: Black tom with ice-blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Gorgepaw: Dark gray tom with amber eyes

Applepaw: White she-cat with black stripes

Riverpaw: Silver she-cat with black specks on her back

**Queens:**

Gingerfire: Dark ginger she-cat with blue eyes. Mate: Nightstar Kits: Eaglefeather, Flamecloud, Blacktail, Gorgepaw, Applepaw, Riverpaw,  
Branchkit (dark brown tom with a white foot), Lilykit (Light ginger she-cat with darker ginger stripes), and Bearkit (black tom with amber eyes)

Tansyleaf: Blueish-gray she-cat with green eyes. Mate: Blacktail Kit: Featherkit (Light silvery she-cat)

ROGUE BAND  
(OUTCASTS)

**Leader: **Niyol: Ginger tom with blue eyes, very strong

**Followers:**

Eel: lithe she cat with a slimblack coat and bright green eyes

Smokeheart: Ex-sunclanner, exiled for mating with a rogue, soft light gray she cat, mate; Zap, expecting.

Zap: Black and white tom

Wing: Tortoiseshell she-cat with white markings and blue eyes

Feather: Wing's twin, tortoiseshell she-cat

Flash: ginger tom

Aurora: Pale tabby she-cat

**Alrighty, there are the allegiances. I'll start typing up Chapter 1 now.**


	3. Chapter 1

**Last chapter was pretty depressing, and I can't say that the story will get much better. Its mostly sadness through and through. The sequel will be a tad happier, and if this one goes right.**

**Oh, and there is a mistake in the allegiances. Redpaw isn't Duskflame's apprentice, he's Songfeather. Mistake, sorry.**

**The first few chapters will probably be boring, so just stick with me here.**

"Duskflame?" A voice sounded quietly in his head, clear in the background. Duskflame was lost in space, grieving, for tonight was another full moon. Another anniversary of her death. If she were alive right now, she'd be a warrior, sitting alongside him. Maybe... Violeteyes, Violetpelt. The best was always Violetheart. She had a heart like no other. Maybe she would even be a queen right now, expecting his kits.

"Duskflame!" The voice was louder this time, and he raised my green eyes, but not his head, which was resting somberly on the ground, to see a white she-cat with striking blue eyes standing over him.

He didn't say a word, just watched Russettail, waiting for her to speak. She sighed and sat down across from him, and this time he did raise my head. "Duskflame... you've got to get up sometime today. You haven't moved from this spot since you woke up."

Duskflame could only lift his shoulders in a shrug and looked down again, staring at nothing in particular.

"Duskflame... I think it may be time to move on from Violetpaw." Russettail spoke slowly, and he looked up at her, eyes sharp this time, with anger, pushing himself to a sitting position.

"You don't know what it feels like." he growled, trying to push back his rage.

"No, you're right, I don't." Russettail meowed, and her tone saddened, her eyes dropping to the ground. "But I have an idea."

"Oh, yeah? Enlighten me, what trauma have _you _gone through?" Duskflame shot at her, watching her intently with narrowed, bright with anger green eyes.

"I lost my best friend." she looked back up at him sheepishly. "We used to be so close 12 moons ago, before she passed... and I've lost you completely."

Whatever retort he had planned caught in his throat, and he lowered his eyes. "Oh." Was all he could manage until he could speak again. "I'm sorry, Russettail." he glanced around camp, and a few cats eyes darted away from his own. "I could... go the Gathering with you tonight?" he offered. She was right, he needed to get out of camp, but he would never get over Violetpaw.

Russettail sat up straighter, tail waving in the air. "Really?" she meowed, and Duskflame swallowed the hard lump in his throat. He had said the exact same words around this time last year to Violetpaw. "I'm sure Swiftstar will let you. I'll go talk to her, you get something to eat. We're leaving soon." With that, the white she-cat turned and bounded toward the High Tree, where the leaders den was inside the trunk.

To get to the den, a cat had to climb up to the first branch, and there was a hole, where a warm, cozy den was, and since the tree was so big in diamater, it was a great place to sleep.

Duskflame let out a long sigh and glanced up at the sky. _Where ever you are, Violetpaw, I'll always love you. _With that he stood and trotted toward the fresh-kill pile to get prey.

It was later that day, almost moonhigh by now. "All cats join beneath the High Tree for a meeting!" A voice rung out, and cats glanced up from where they were to see a white and ginger she-cat standing on one of the branches, clearly seen against the rough, brown bark.

Most cats didn't have to move, for they were already close enough to hear what Swiftstar would have to say, and Duskflame sat down to listen.

"As you all know, it is the Gathering tonight, and going with me will be Blazeclaw, Mosspath, Runningpaw, Russettail, Duskflame, Sandfire, Freebird, Rosetail, Whisperpaw, and Hawkpaw." With that, Swiftstar leaped down from the High Tree and waved her tail, summoning the cats to her. Duskflame trotted forward, joined by Russetail on his side.

They made their way out of the entrance, a thick bramble wall, covered by leaves and pine needles. They trekked through the lush forest, trotting through undergrowth and past large, thick tree trunks. Duskflame's nerves were on end, as they were getting closer and closer to the SunClan border, Duskflame's most hated part of the territory.

He sighed, glancing away quickly as they approached the stream, but luckily, they turned before they arrived to the scene of Violetpaw's death. They trotted through the east part of the territory, arriving to a small clearing, where a large boulder sat. The elders said it was exactly like the Gathering place in the old forest, the place where the cats lived before the lake, in which DawnClan and SunClan had left from many moons ago. It was one of the ancient stories.

Duskflame saw cats gathered, and knew SunClan was here already. The DawnClan cats trotted into the clearing, and Swiftstar quickly leaped up onto the boulder, stopping to stand beside the SunClan leader, Nightstar.

Duskflame took his usualy seat, further away from the other Clans, listening half heartedly to the average news. Everything was peaceful. Prey was plentiful in both Clans, dogs and twolegs was not a problem, and she-cats were becoming queens, giving birth to beautiful, healthy kits. It seemed like everything was peaceful, easy, for both the Clans.

The meeting broke up quickly, and Duskflame had only hear half of what was exchanged, and whatever he heard didn't soak into him, and he would likely forget it all before tomorrow. All Gatherings had been the same lately, or at least that was what the cats who came back from the said. Duskflame hadn't been to one in a long time, since he wasn't the most social cat.

The Gathering broke up, and Swiftstar gathered her cats with a sweep of her tail. They trotted toward their territory, but something in Duskflame's peripheral vision made him turn his head, and he stopped mid step, paw in the air, throwing a glance over his shoulder.

Amber eyes gleamed maliciously in the shadows.

**Ah, cliffies. I always do cliffies for some reason. I'm a cliffie fan.**

**Anyway, I have a question for my readers. If you roleplay on freewebs on good, active sites, could you please review with some links? I badly want to RPG on freewebs again, but I can't find any good ones for the life of me!**

**Anyway, please review. I promise the story will get better.**


	4. Chapter 2

**Wow, tons of reviews! Thankyou SO much! I love love love reviews. It gives me motive to update. :). Even though 6 or 7 out of 8 was Lionstar xD. Thanks for so many reviews, Lionstar. **

**These have been the best reviews I've ever gotten in all my stories so far, so thankyou thankyou thankyou. :) :) :). Whats with all the words repeated three times? Wow Wow Wow. xD ok I'm done now. Keep up the reviews!**

It had been three sunrises since the Gathering, and Duskflame had been on at least two patrols a day. He was still reserved and anti-social, but at least he was doing his part in the Clan.

His brother, Lionheart, trotted over to him, looking hesitant. "Hey, Duskflame." His brother meowed and sat beside him by the fresh-kill. Duskflame looked at him curiously. He and Lionheart hadn't talked in a while.

When Lionheart seemed to be waiting for a reply, Duskflame simply said, "Yes?" he meowed. Lionheart probably wanted something.

Lionheart almost burst with pride when he spoke, "You're going to be an uncle!"

Duskflame felt pain stab him like a thorn in his heart. Lionheart had found some one to have kits with and spend his life with, while Duskflame could have the same right now. Lionheart looked disappointed by Duskflame's reaction, and he quickly meowed, "That's great, Lionheart. With who?"

"Freebird." he purred with pride, and Duskflame scrabbled for something to say.

"Lionheart!" They both looked over to see Blazeclaw waiting with Songfeather and her apprentice, Redpaw.

"Oh, I totally forgot about the sunhigh patrol." Lionheart meowed, and bounded away with a wave of his tail to Duskflame, and he sighed heavily. His brother had found happiness, while StarClan condemned him to a life with no closure of Violetpaw's death.

"Duskflame!" he let out a long sigh. Now what? He turned to see Russettail trotting over to him, tail waving high above her head. "Want to go hunting?"

Duskflame glanced at the fresh-kill pile. It did need prey, and Duskflame needed out of camp anyway. He nodded to got to his paws, leading the way out of camp, Russettail less than a pawsteps behind him.

Once out of camp, he tasted the air, ears pricked. He dropped into a crouch and pulled himself forward, slowly and precisely, pinpointing the squirrel scuffling along the undergrowth.

He leaped forward, biting the squirrel in the neck, killing it before it could make a sound. He turned, the large, plump squirrel dangling limply from his jaws. Russettail joined him with a sparrow from her jaws. "Good catch." she mumbled around the feathers.

Duskflame's eyes narrowed and he froze, Russettail tense beside him. A yowl of surprise had just died down in the air, and Duskflame glanced quickly over to Russettail, eyes meeting, both filled with alarm, before they took off, racing through the trees toward camp.

Somewhere along the way Russettail had accidently dropped her bird and left it, and Duskflame burst through the camp entrance, glancing around, expecting to see fighting cats, but only found a crowd of cats clustered in the middle of camp. He dropped his squirrel in the fresh-kill pile and trotted over, stretching and craning his neck to try to find what was happening.

"Enough!" Came a loud yowl, and the cats broke apart, backing away until every cat could see. A dark brown tabby lay on the ground, leg bleeding heavily. Mosspath rushed over with herbs in her jaws, and begin to work on the cats leg.

Blazeclaw and Swiftstar were talking quietly nearby, and finally, a white tom, spoke up. "Can we know whats happening yet?" Mouseshadow called out.

Blazeclaw gave the young warrior a stern look, but Swiftstar looked calmly at the group of cats. "We found this loner in the territory, and he's terribly hurt." Swiftstar meowed, and an uproar rose from the gathered cats. Duskflame glanced around for Russettail, but found her nowhere.

"So what're we doing with him?" A warrior called out loudly.

Swiftstar glanced from cat to cat. "For now, we'll let Mosspath heal him, and then he can decide. Now all, go back to your duties." she meowed, and she and Blazeclaw murmured to each other quietly.

Duskflame paused, staring closely at the tom.

Something about him was oddly familiar. His build, or his size? His claws? It definently wasn't his pelt. Whatever Duskflame recognized about the tabby wasn't anything good.

Duskflame padded closer, eyes narrowed, and the tom looked at him with a narrowed gaze. Behind the yellow in his eyes lie amusement. Duskflame lowered his head to the toms ears. "Who are you?" he hissed quietly.

"I used to be Mudpaw." he hissed back, grinning wickedly. Duskflame stepped back quickly. Mudpaw, his enemy as an apprentice, Mudpaw? The cat who had murdered a SunClan cat, and the act which Duskflame had witnessed. The act which Duskflame had reported to the then leader, Darkstar.

The cat who had a black pelt.

And the cat who, now that Duskflame looked closer, had amber eyes.

**Oooo. There ya go! Chapter 2. It was a bit short, but still... review!**


	5. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the review, AWESOMESAUCE-XD, it was the only one I got :(. Please review more, guys! I need reviews to keep the muse going. Most of you have seen what happens when my muse dies.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 3.**

Duskflame's eyes narrowed at the rogue, taking a few steps back, raising his head and glancing around camp.

Lionheart was leading a patrol consisting of Russettail, Lightfoot, and Hawkpaw into the territory, and a hunting patrol was being organized by Blazeclaw, and warriors clustered around to find their duties for tomorrow. Swiftstar sat by the fresh-kill pile with her mate, Sandfire, sharing a rabbit and glancing over to the loner, or rogue, but the Clan didn't know that, every once in a while. Mosspath had gone back to her den to get more herbs, but found she needed to collect some and took Redpaw with her to get some.

It left Duskflame alone with Dust. His green eyes narrrowed slits, he hissed softly, "Why do you look so different?"

Dust simply shrugged, as if enjoying every moment of this. "I shedded my overcoat, turns out I was a tabby and didn't know it." His voice was like sour honey, moving so swiftly and easily it was as if he were back being Mudpaw.

Duskflame lashed his tail. "So what're you doing here?" he growled.

"As far as they know," he flicked his tail toward Swiftstar with a curt nod. "I'm here because I can't go anywhere else." he meowed. "But I'm actually here to see an old friend." his eyes flickered to Duskflame.

He saw the real meaning of the toms words. He was here to get revenge on Duskflame.

The tabby rogue began to speak again, and Duskflame wished he hadn't heard the words. "How's little ol' Violetpaw?"

Duskflame let out a long, drawn out hiss. "You know exactly what happened to her." he snarled, hardly keeping himself from attacking Dust there, in the middle of camp.

"You're right, I do." Dust meowed, and something in his eyes told Duskflame there was something Dust knew that Duskflame didn't.

"Dust!" Came a voice, and the two turned to see Swiftstar beckoning the cat over.

"Oh, I loved talking to you, but unfortunately, I gotta go." Dust meowed, getting to his paws and trotting away, letting his tail travel across Duskflame's nose. Duskflame hissed at him, eyes narrowed. _You won't be here long. I'll reveal exactly who you are._

Rage was building inside him, like water in a stream during a rainstorm, threatening to overflow. He replayed the conversation in his head_, _looking for any clues as to what Dust would do, and the hidden meaning in his eyes.

"I know who killed Violetpaw." Her name snapped Duskflame from his thoughts, and he sought to find the source, his fur bristling when he did.

"You do? Who?" Swiftstar meowed, ears pricked.

Dust turned his head to fix Duskflame with a wicked gaze, and Duskflame suddenly knew everything Dust had been hinted toward.

This was his revenge.

**ANOTHER cliffie! What is with me and cliffies? xD. Anyway, not much to review in this chapter... but please do it anyway!**

**That was a super super short chapter. Wow I haven't had that short of a chapter in FOREVER. Sorry guys, I didn't know it'd be that short. **


	6. Chapter 4

**Reviews, reviews, reviews, and more reviews! Wow! Keep it up guys. :) Now, I'm not exactly sure how to get it so that Swiftstar believes Dust, so stick with me, guys. And btw, Lionstar, 3rd Base 101 did make Freebird, but she was FreePAW in the joinings, and her warrior name was Freebird, so I changed her and her brother, Mousepaw, to warriors. Also, Its too late to add any cats, so I cant add the cats you joined. One question, why were they all exactly like Lionheart or Duskflame? **

"Well, as a loner, I lived outside SunClan territory. I admit, I did hunt there every once in a while." Duskflame bristled, fighting the urge to inch closer. It'd look suspicious. He was only saying he hunted in SunClan territory to make himself seem honest. "I saw how she died..."

"Okay, and how was that?" Swiftstar meowed, eyes intent. Violetpaw had been Swiftstar's apprentice at the time, and like Duskflame, she never gave up on Violetpaw.

"This cat, he was a black cat, fed her deathberries." Dust glanced at Duskflame, then flickered his gaze back to Swiftstar.

"A black cat? That could be any cat!" Swiftstar replied, tail lashing slightly, but her gaze was unreadable.

Dust leaned in to Swiftstar, and whatever he said couldn't be heard, but Duskflame didn't need to hear what was said.

_No! Swiftstar won't believe him. He's a loner, compared to her trusted warrior._

Swiftstar leaned back from him, and glanced at Duskflame, surprise in her eyes when she caught his gaze. He quickly looked away. There was one of his big mistakes, listening in so intently.

"You may go now." she meowed, slightly defensive to Dust, who nodded and stood, dipping his head before padding away, snickering as he passed Duskflame.

"Duskflame, may I speak to you in my den?" Swiftstar meowed, beckoning to Blazeclaw as she leaped onto the tree and into the hole, Blazeclaw, puzzled, following after giving out one last order for a patrol. Duskfame let out a long sigh and clawed his way up the tree, landing on the branch. He threw a glance over his should to find a wicked amber gaze trailing him.

He bared his teeth in a challenge to the cat and trotting into the tree, into the large, dim-lighted den, sitting down infront of the hole that led to the branch, looking from Swiftstar to Blazeclaw.

"Dust told me you had something to do with Violetpaw's death-" Swiftstar began, but Duskflame cut her off.

"He's lying!" The unreadable expression on Swiftstars face made him regret interrupting her. It made him look guilty.

"What reason does he have to lie, Duskflame?" Blazeclaw meowed, fixing him with a hard stare. Duskflame shuffled his paws under it.

"What reason did I have of feeding her death berries?" Duskflame meowed, glancing worridely from one cat to another.

"How did you know he said death berries?" Swiftstar meowed, surprise flickering in her gaze.

Duskflame hung his head. How many times could he mess up so drastically? "I was listening."

"Why did you show so much interest? Because you didn't want to get caught?" Blazeclaw challenged.

"No! I just... I wanted to see if he could give me some answers." Duskflame meowed, looking back to Swiftstar desperately. She had to believe him.

But her eyes were still unreadable. "It's hard to know whose telling the truth... so we'll have to rely on the Clan. Some of them might have seen something." Swiftstar meowed, flicking her tail to dismiss Duskflame. He let out a long sigh and turned, trotting out onto the branch and down off the tree, landing on the ground and sitting there. No cat would say he was there. They had no proof!

_I didn't kill her!_ He wanted to yowl to the skies.

Swiftstar trotted out onto the branch, glancing at him. "There was a hunting patrol out that day, and I remember who they are. Don't ask me how." Swiftstar meowed, turning to the cat.

"Songfeather, Sandfire, Freebird, and Rabbitleap." she called out, backing back into her den. Duskflame hung his head, guessing Blazeclaw was the last cat on the patrol.

The four cats looked puzzled, and they climbed the tree into the den. Duskflame leaped up onto the branch to listen.

"You were all on a hunting patrol the day that Violetpaw died, right?" Swiftstar meowed.

"I remember seeing her." Songfeather meowed, voice thick with grief.

"Songfeather, who did you see with her?" Swiftstar meowed.

"When we left, we saw Duskflame outside camp with her." Songfeather meowed, puzzlement in her voice.

"Sandfire?" Swiftstar meowed, turning to her mate.

"Yeah, they were out there." he meowed. Rabbitleap agreed with the senior warrior.

"I saw them hunting near the border together." Freebird added.

Duskflame remembered that now. He had been so focused on the fact that they had felt the same that he had forgot afterward they went out to hunt.

"Duskflame came back to camp before she did." Rabbitleap added.

_And then went back to her!_ He thought. _She asked to take back some of the prey!_

"Okay, thankyou. You may return to your duties." Swiftstar meowed, and Duskflame leaped down from the branch to make room for them to come down.

"Duskflame, come back in." Blazeclaw's voice came from the den, and with a long sigh, he leaped up onto the branch and into the den.

Duskflame sat inside the den, eyes flickering from Swiftstar to Blazeclaw, and both looked somber.

"Every one puts you at the scene of Violetpaw's murder." Swiftstar meowed quietly. "We have no choice but to... exile you, Duskflame." The she-cat meowed, and Duskflame looked up sharply.

Suddenly, rage filled him. How could they believe that he would kill her? Did they really think he would do that? He turned abrutply from the cats, leaping from the den, straight from the ground. Swiftstar followed him out, remorse in her eyes.

Duskflame stalked from them, not looking at any cat. The patrols had arrived back, and Russettail meowed. "Duskflame? What happened?"

"All cats, please join beneath the High Tree for a meeting." Her voice was slow, as if she didn't want to make his exile a reality. Her voice was in the back ground, behind him, and he finally reached the camp entrance, refusing to look back.

Dust's snicker sounded beside him, and he shouldered his way out of camp, Swiftstars voice fading behind him.

**Phew. That was grueling. I myself wasn't convinced Swiftstar would believe that, but she has to for this story to continue, so please excuse that! Alrighty, guys, review time! Click that little review button below here! :)**


	7. Chapter 5

**I'm determined to keep updating. xD Lionstar we're like having a conversation between story and reviews. Sure, I'll use those names, they're pretty good. :). Sorry, but I can't do that 3 POV's. This story is completely focused on Duskflame, because I'd need to construct two more personalitys, and I worked pretty hard on Duskflame. Promise that the Clanners will be in the next book more, but you won't be hearing much from them until later in the story. Also, I'm thinking about doing a POV from one of Lionheart and Freebirds POV next book, and Duskflame. Just to take it slow. This is the third update today! That's a record! :)**

Duskflame stopped outside the camp entrance, ears layed back, breathing hard. Swiftstars words echoed through the camp.

"We had no choice but to exile him." A shocked silence followed, and before any cat could speak, Duskflame trotted away, tail dragging through the dust, head dipped down so that his whiskers brushed the dust.

Clan life had been all he knew. Hunting for his Clan, eating by the fresh-kill pile, sleeping the warriors den alongside his Clanmates, waking up to go on dawn patrol, Gatherings. He never realized how much he had missed in the moons between Violetpaw's murder and now.

Where would he go? He couldn't live in the territory here, and he didn't want to live in unfamiliar territory. With a heavy sigh, he turned and began to walk toward nomad territory. There was nowhere else he could go.

"Duskflame!" Came a voice, and he bristled, turning slowly. Had Swiftstar sent a patrol to see him out of the territory? Instead, he saw Lionheart bounding up to him.

"What?" Duskflame meowed. He had to remember that he couldn't continue to speak with his brother now that he was a loner.

"I just wanted to say... goodbye." Lionheart meowed, sadness and grief in his eyes.

Duskflame glanced at his paws. "Oh." he meowed, feeling sadness for his brother. "Good luck with the kits, you'll be a great father." Duskflame meowed, and Lionheart nodded slowly.

"I know you didn't do it, just remember that." Lionheart meowed, beginning to back out toward the camp entrance. Duskflame nodded farewell to him, and his brothers ginger coat disappeared into the camp barrier.

With his heart as heavy as a stone, he turned and bounded toward the border, leaping over logs and dodging trees, gaining speed until he was racing through the forest, everything a blur around him. Suddenly, all he wanted to do was leave as quick as possible before he could actually think this through.

He slowed when the forest had disappeared behind him, and fields stretched out infront of him for at least an acre. Beyond that was a rocky hill. Duskflame began to trot through the meadow, heading toward the rocky hill.

It took him a while to climb the hill. Leaping from rock to rock, taking a rest halfway up, it was nearly sundown before he reached the top. He'd need to find somewhere to sleep soon.

He gazed down on the other side to see a stream snake its ways around the hill and flow into the Clan's territory, the border between SunClan and DawnClan. Beyond that was thin trees, stretching until they reach the mountains. Hopefully he could find a temporary den in the trees, and in the morning he could press on into the mountains. Somewhere near the base, maybe he could find some caves..

He begin climb down the hill, this time finding a path that cut through the rocks. The sun was touching the mountains when he leaped the stream and trotted into the trees, and he hurried to taste the air for any suspicious smells before pressing on. Halfway through the forest, when the last streaks of the sun were disappearing behind the mountains, he found an abandoned badger set, and the scent of badger was so stale he didn't notice it at first.

He trotted in and lay on the cold ground, curling his tail around his nose. _What do I have left to live for?_

_dfdfdfdfdf DFDFDFDF EeEeEeEeE RtRtRtRtRt VpVpVpVpVp LhLhLhLhLhLhLh BcBcBcBcBcBcBc DfDfDfDfDfDfDf EeEeEeEeEeEeEe RtRtRtRtRt_

It had been two sunrises since the exile, and Duskflame had been straying further and further from the DawnClan territory. He had traveled halfway up the mountain, and now he slept in a cave, a different one that yesterday had been.

He had found a clearing that cut into the mountain, sheltered by rocks and a large willow tree. He stopped to groom his fur down, having been ruffled by the wind. He sat on the edge of the clearing, overlooking the Clan's territory.

Perhaps he could find a den to sleep in between two rocks. This seemed like a great place to sleep. He could imagine living here, coping with the things he couldn't cope with back home.

The only problem is he'd have to scale down the mountain every day to find some prey. He'd only found a mouse on the way up. He'd need to go back down soon and eat too. First, he stood and turned, trotting back into the clearing and sniffing around, finding a large crevice between two rocks that would make a suitable nest. If he wanted to stay here, and he planned to be here for at least a few days, he'd need moss. He could get that before hunting and get his bearings of the forest while collecting the moss.

Suddenly, something knocked him over to the side and into a rock, and the breath was knocked out of him. He rolled over onto his paws and crouched, fur bristling and claws unsheathed, surprised when he saw a cat infront of him.

A black and white tom stood infront of him, muscles hard and toned, blue eyes narrowed angrily, stance spred out. "You're in our territory." he spat.

"I didn't know any cat lived here..." Duskflame meowed. The least thing he wanted was a fight, when he needed to move around.

"Lies." The black and white tom hissed, leaping forward with splayed claws. Duskflame dodged narrowly to the side, turning and leaping onto the tom and knocking him from mid air, giving a combo blow to the tom's face.

The tom hissed and kicked at his belly, knocking Duskflame over and he fell, head dangling off the ledge of the clearing. Below, steep grass streatched down toward the forest.

The black and white tom bunched his muscles for another leap, but suddenly another voice came.

"Zap? What's going on?" Duskflame took the chance to roll over to his paws and leap from the ledge, further into the clearing.

A path that led from the rocky clearing winded up the rest of the mountain, and a beautiful light gray she-cat leaped from the winding path onto the grass of the clearing. Duskflame noticed the she-cats belly was swollen.

The black and white tom, known as Zap as the she-cat had said, grumbled. "Defending the territory, Smokeheart."

Duskflame pricked his ears. A Clan name? It sounded the familiar. The pregnant she-cat glanced at Duskflame than back at Zap. "He didn't seem to be threatening us." she meowed.

_Us? Is there more? _Smokeheart turned to him with a kind gaze in her green eyes. "And what is your name?" she meowed.

"Smokeheart, why do you care?" Zap meowed, rolling his eyes sightly.

"Niyol says to be kind to all trespassers. They may need a home." Smokeheart snapped back, a fiesty gleam in her eyes_. Niyol? Who else is around_? Smokeheart turned back to him. "Sorry about that. So, whats your name?" she repeated again, giving a silencing glare to Zap when he opened his mouth to speak.

"D-Duskflame." he stammered, knowing that Zap was fixing him with a hard glare that seared through Duskflame's black pelt.

"That's a Clan name!" Smokeheart exclaimed, interest flaming in her eyes. She padded over closer to him, green eyes warm. "I was SunClan, what are you?"

Duskflame's eyes grew wide and he stood straigher. "Thats what you're from! You got exiled from SunClan for mating with a rogue." Duskflame meowed, tail waving in the air.

Zap hissed in warning, and Duskflame guessed he was the father of the pregnant she-cats kittens. Smokeheart let out a long sigh and glanced over Duskflame and into the SunClan territory. "Yeah. I've never seen a cat exiled from a Clan for that." she sighed, then seemed to brighten. "But my life has actually been better. I belong in the Outcasts."

"The... Outcasts?" Duskflame meowed, but Zap and Smokeheart shared a glance.

"We can take you to our camp? Niyol can explain it there." Zap offered, looking back to Duskflame.

Duskflame hesitated, but a thought crosses his mind. _What do I have to lose? _he thought, and nodded to the two. "Lead the way." he meowed, trotting closer.

How many cats were awaiting at this 'camp'?

**Alrighty, there ya go! That was a good time to explore Duskflame's personality a bit more. Outside of the gloomiest, he's actually a bit mischevious. If there is a sequel, and if things keep going the way they are there will be one, he'll be able to actually have more of a personality, but right now he's just swallowed by grief and later, determination. **

**Anyway, enough of rambling. Review, please! **


	8. Chapter 6

**Im feeling pretty down in the dumps right now, so sorry if that kinda reflects into the chapter. It shouldn't, but you never know. Anyway, moving on.**

"So how'd you get exiled?" Smokeheart meowed. The three had been traveling on the paths for a few moments, and no cat had said anything. Unlike being caught in enemies territory and having to be escorted back by being flanked by SunClan warriors, the two rogues trotted ahead of him, completely at ease. A chilly breeze whispered through the mountains, and Duskflame fluffed up his fur against it.

"I got framed for murder." Duskflame meowed gravely, stopping to glance over his shoulder. They were far from DawnClan territory, and the trees inside Clan territory looked like dots against the green of grass below it.

Zap took the lead when Smokeheart turned to look at him in surprise. "Murder?" The pregnant she-cat meowed, light gray fur ruffling in the breeze. "A lot has changed since I was there." she meowed, and Zap seemed to take a few more pawsteps away from Duskflame, casting a nervous glance at him.

Duskflame met the toms light blue gaze. "I didn't do it, though." he meowed, and Zap, seeming to believe him, turned and continued along the path. The patrol was nearing the top now, Duskflame's legs worn from climbing up the steep mountain side. At the top, the ground flattened out in fields, and Duskflame was definently ready to rest there.

"Then why did you get exiled?" Smokeheart questioned, tilting her head as they trotted along.

"Some cats saw me there with her, and the leader believes them." he meowed.

"How long ago was this murder?" Zap meowed, speaking for the first time since down at the rock clearing.

"12 moons." Duskflame meowed, and Zap looked at him surprise.

"Violetpaw was the leaders apprentice. Swiftstar never gave up trying to find her." Duskflame explained.

Smokeheart looked at him, brightness in her eyes. "Violetpaw? That DawnClan apprentice who died on the border? I remember that!"

Duskflame visibly winced at the name and nodded, thankful when they finally reached the top of the mountain.

"We can rest here." Zap meowed, sitting down near the field, made of tall grass. Prey would be plentiful there.

"I'm starving!" Smokeheart meowed, voicing his thoughts, and Duskflame pricked his ears.

"I can hunt for you. It'd be the least I can do." Duskflame offered, and the she-cat let out a sigh of relief, plopping down onto her side.

"Thankyou. You wouldn't believe the amount of work it takes to haul kits around everywhere." Smokeheart meowed, a flash of humor in her green eyes.

Duskflame disappeared into the weeds, tasting the air and crouching, stalking forward when he caught the scent of prey right away. He stalked forward until he could a mouse digging up seeds in the grass. Duskflame froze, eyes attached to the creature before he leaped forward and delivered it a killing bite before it could make a sound. Burying the mouse, he tasted the air again, trotted forward a bit before pricking his ears and taking in a deep breath.

He did the same with the mouse, except this time swifter, quickly catching a sparrow, and later, a vole. He gathered his three pieces of prey and trotted out of the field, shaking out the grass seeds that clung to his dark pelt. He dropped the sparrow and vole at Smokeheart and Zap's paws before laying down in the soft grass and eating his mouse.

"I could have caught my own prey, you know." Zap meowed, but took a bite out of the vole anyway.

"Yes, Zap, I'm sure you could have." Smokeheart meowed, rolling her eyes playfully and devouring her sparrow in a few bites.

Once the cats had finished eating, they got to their paws and began to walk along the flat top of the mountain. _Where in StarClan's name are we going? _Duskflame thougth as they scaled along the mountain. Duskflame peeked over the edge to see rocks stretch down dangerously to the bottom of the mountain. If a cat were to fall, it would be fatal, and it definently would not be easy to climb up the rocks, either.

"Smokeheart, look out!" Duskflame jumped when Zap yowled at the she-cat, and Duskflame looked forward to see an eagle diving down toward the small she-cat. Usually eagles didn't attack full grown cats, but Smokeheart must be small enough for it.

Zap and Duskflame leaped forward at the same time, Zap gripping Smokeheart's scruff and pulling her out of the way while Duskflame leaped onto the eagle, digging his claws into it's wing and bitting at its side. It let out a screech and tried to flap its wings to fly away, and Duskflame dropped down from it, watching as the bird flew awkwardly out of sight.

Duskflame, panting hard, turned to see Zap licking Smokeheart's ear, and she was breathing raggedly in fright. "Thank... you." she meowed between breaths, and Duskflame nodded.

After a few long moments of recapturing their breath, the three cats finished scaling the mountain, and Zap turned to them. "I'll go get Niyol. You two stay up here." Zap meowed and disappeared over the side of the mountain, leaping from one rock to the other until he had gone down a few fox lengths and turned, disappearing into a well hidden cave that Duskflame had never noticed.

It was silent for a long time until Zap reappeared, leaping up the same rocks. Behind him, a large, sleek, ginger tom with broad shoulders and friendly green eyes trotted out and leaped easily from boulder to boulder, muscles rippling and ginger coat glowing in the sun. He landed beside Zap and dipped his head to Duskflame.

"Hello," meowed the tom. "I'm Niyol. You're Duskflame, right?" The tom meowed, gazing at him. Duskflame nodded.

"Well, welcome to the mountains. Why don't you come inside and rest a bit? You look tired." Niyol offered.

"Oh, thankyou." Duskflame meowed, dipping his head. Smokeheart went down first, and it took her much longer than it had Niyol and Zap. She was very careful of her unborn kits, and Duskflame could already tell she'd make a great mother.

He leaped clumsily from rock to rock, and Zap had a bit of amusement in his eyes watching him. "I'm new at this." he meowed jokingly, landing down beside Smokeheart at the entrance to the cave. Niyol lead the way in, and Duskflame was shocked at how many cats were here.

It was almost the size of the Clans. A cat lay by the entrance, a sleek black she-cat, and two identical tortoiseshell lay side by side, eating prey. A ginger tom and a black tom were having a mock fight nearby. All cats paused in their actions and raised their heads to look at him as he trotted in. Duskflame could feel his ears grow hot from the stares. Niyol adressed the cats calmly.

"This is Duskflame. He is going to rest here for a bit." The ginger tom declared, and the cats around seemed to relax. Duskflame sat down far away from any other cats, and Smokeheart and Zap sat down closer to him, but still giving him space.

This was going to be a long day.

**Not much of a cliffie, kinda hard to do with this chapter. I love Smokeheart, she's so fun so far. Her and Zap are the typical old married couple. Anyway, review!**


	9. Chapter 7

**Don't worry guys, that's not the end of the Clanners. They'll be back in a little. Not all of them, just a few DawnClanners and a SunClanner. And Lionstar369 or Elite369, I think it is, said that chapter seemed a bit short, but it was the second longest in the story. More than 1,300 words. Anyway, Im pretty sure theres not much mention of Clanners in this chapter.**

Duskflame watched as shadows were thrown across the ground outside, and he trotted toward the entrance of the den and peeked out at the sky. The sun was getting ready to set in the distance, and Duskflame backed into the cave and turned, glancing around and trotting toward the center of the clearing, where Niyol and the black she-cat sat side by side.

As Duskflame approached, Niyol stood up to meet him. "Thankyou for your hospitality, but I should go find a place to sleep now." he meowed, and Niyol glanced at the black she-cat then back to Duskflame.

"We try to give a home to all the loners we see, and you seem to be a perfect fit for our group." Niyol started, and Duskflame blinked in surprise at what he was getting at. "We were wondering if you would like to join us."

Duskflame hesitated for a short moment, but logical thoughts entered his mind. _You can live with the protection of other cats instead of on your own in unfamiliar territory. It'll be just like a Clan again. _He dipped his head to Niyol. "I'd love to be part of your group.

"Welcome to the Outcasts." Niyol meowed, and a murmur rippled through the cats gathered around. They reflected Niyol words. "Welcome to the Outcasts."

Duskflame dipped his head to the cats around, flicking his tail to them. He felt heat flow through his pelt, but he tried not to show his embaressment.

"Tomorrow," Niyol continued, and Duskflame turned his head back to the tom. "Zap and Eel," he gestured toward the black cat who Duskflame guessed was Eel. "Can take you out and show you around. The day after that Flash and I," he gestured to the ginger tom that had been practicing battle moves earlier. "Will show you our battle moves." Niyol meowed.

Duskflame cocked his head to the side. "Why do you need battle moves? There aren't too many threatening cats around." Duskflame meowed.

Niyol nodded. "There are hawks, cougars, the occasional coyote, and strays that love to stir up trouble around, though." he meowed, flicking his tail out the cave entrance. "Just on the other side of that mountain is an abandoned city. Theres a few rogues that linger around there, they come up and stir up trouble quite a bit. You'd think they'd learn their lesson."

Duskflame blinked. "City?" he meowed. He'd never heard the word before.

"A twolegplace." Meowed Smokeheart, and Duskflame nodded quickly.

DfDfDfDfDfDfDfDfDfDfDfDfDf ZZZZZZZZZZZ SrSrSrSrSrSr

"You've seen the field, the rock side of the mountain, what else is there?" Zap meowed, turning to Eel questioningly.

"The stream." The black she-cat answered, bounding forward a few paces. Duskflame had learned more about each cat already. Zap was proud but loyal and kind, while Eel was lively and ready to dive into anything. The she-cat leaped over one rock and landed neatly on the side, while Zap and Duskflame simply trotted around it.

"Over there." Eel meowed, gesturing with her tail. A sparkling stream flowed up the mountain, around a rock, cut through a field, and disappeared over the side.

Duskflame trotted forward and bent down to lap up the cool water, flicking his tail when he had taken a few gulps. "That's great!" he meowed, turning to Zap and Eel, who had also taken a few sips.

"That's mountain water." Eel purred. "This is the best spot for prey, obviously. The other side of the mountain is foresty, thin though, and hard to catch prey with how slanted it is. But we've all done it sooner or later. The prey is best tasting over there, but hardest to find." The she-cat meowed.

"There's Niyol." Zap meowed, and Duskflame turned his head to see two ginger toms trotting over, Niyol easiest to see, since he was much larger than the other tom.

"Showing you the territory took shorter than I expected." Niyol meowed, and Duskflame glanced at the sky to see it was only sunhigh. "So I decided to come out and show you the battle moves now. Zap, Eel, thankyou. You guys can go now." The two nodded and trotted away, Eel splashing Zap playfully before they left the stream.

Duskflame turned back to Niyol. "We'll start with the basic moves today. This one is our best surprise attack. It doesn't work as well with sheathed claws, but it'll work." he meowed and turned to Flash.

"Leap on the enemies back and use your weight to roll them over, digging your claws into their shoulders. Roll until their belly up, then give a good combo to their head to dizzy them, then kick them away and leap at them. Watch." Niyol turned to flash, and the two powerful toms crouched down, eyes narrowed.

Suddenly, Niyol leaped forward, and Flash, expecting the attack, reared onto his hind paws. Niyol hooked one paw onto one of Flash's shoulders and twisted around to hook the other paw on the opposite shoulder. Before Flash could even drop down on his forepaws, Niyol shifted his weight to the side and sent them both sprawling, Flash landing belly up on Niyols belly, and Niyol kicked him away after cuffing him twice in the ear.

Flash stood up, dazed, and the whole move happened in a matter of heartbeats.

Niyol turned to Duskflame, waving his tail and shaking out his ruffled fur, Flash hissing at him playfully. "Try it on Flash." Niyol meowed, and Duskflame immediately dropped to a crouch, calculating for a few long heartbeats before leaping forward. Flash reared up again, and Duskflame tried to remember how Niyol had hooked his paw into the ginger tom's shoulder. Duskflame dug his paw into Flash's shoulder blade, but couldn't get the twist right and fell on Flash's other side.

"Try again." Niyol urged, sitting a few fox lengths away from the two. Duskflame got the same result to the second time.

He crouched for one more try and lurched forward, feeling his paw attached around Flash's chest and swung himself around, lashing out with his paw to dig it into Flash's chest, rolling over onto the side until Flash's weight hit him in the stomach. It knocked the breath out of him, but he sent a combo to Flash's muzzle before kicking him away and leaping up from the ground and pinning the tom to the ground.

Duskflame backed away panting, glancing from Niyol to Flash, and both nodded, Flash grunting as he got up. "I'm not enjoying being the fighting dummy." Flash meowed with a hint of humor in his gaze.

The three spent the rest of the day training, and the moves came easily to Duskflame. When he had learned many of the Outcasts moves, he lashed his tail playfully and meowed. "Want some DawnClan moves?" he offered.

Niyol nodded without hesitation. "I'm guessing some of the rogues down there are learning some of our moves. It wouldn't hurt to have new ones.

It was sunset when they had finished training, and Niyol and Flash begin to leap down the tumble of rocks toward the cave. Duskflame stopped midstep and turned, ears pinned back, to gaze over the mountain and into the forest of the Clan territory.

Something didn't feel right. It was as if he had one more thing he needed to do.

But what?

**Alrighty, there ya go. Review, please!**


	10. Chapter 8

**Alright, last chapter was a bit boring, so hopefully this one is much better. This story will probably only have 20 chapters or so, so we're nearing the half way point. The last half of the story is much more exciting than the first half, because the first half is mostly him finding a place a to stay. Anyway, heres the next chapter!**

It had been a few days since the battle training, and Duskflame was sinking into life in the Outcasts easily. It was almost like he should have been born here, instead of in DawnClan. He had fitted in there as an apprentice, but he had changed now, different from when Violetpaw was alive.

"Duskflame!" He turned around when he heard his name to see Wing, a tortoiseshell she-cat in which Duskflame had trained with for a while. She had easily been one of Duskflame's friends here. Her twin, Feather, was following close behind, her usual solemn expression on. Wing was the sweetheart of the Outcasts, while Feather thought she was too good for half the cats around here. They couldn't be more opposite if they tried.

"Want to go hunting?" Wing offered.

"I'm sorry, maybe another time. I'm worn." Duskflame meowed, flicking his tail. Wing nodded, and glanced around.

"Alright, I'll ask Flash. See ya later!" Wing meowed and bounded away toward the ginger tom. Stretching, Duskflame turned and trotted to the back of the cave and trotted into a smaller extension of the cave, a low ceiling, smaller cave, connected to the main cave by an arched entrance. Duskflame trotted to the edge of the cave, against the side wall, and lay in his nest, curling his tail around his nose and falling asleep quickly.

He awoke in a green-leaf forest, and he glanced around, confused. He had never been here before. He pricked his ears when he thought he heard pawsteps, and he dropped down into the ferns he lay in, knowing his black pelt wouldn't blend into the green fronds.

"No need to be afraid, dear Duskflame." Duskflame pricked his ears, eyes growing wide. He knew that voice.

He leaped from the fronds to see a silver she-cat with white flecks and light, kind green eyes.

"Fernbird!" He meowed, surprised to see his mother standing before him. She had died when Duskflame was a young apprentice. Now, she had stars sparkling in her light fur, paler than Duskflame had remembered it.

Fernbird leaned forward to touch his nose, eyes sparkling with love. "I've missed you." she meowed gently.

Duskflame purred, and for once in a long while he felt truly happy. He glanced around him, and all around he saw cats, hunting, sharing tongues, sleeping peacefully. It looked like eternal happiness in a green-leaf forest.

_So this is StarClan._

He turned back to Fernbird, who was looking at him gravely. "Why did you let me get exiled?" Duskflame meowed quietly. "I didn't do anything."

"You were always destined to be exiled." Fernbird meowed, sitting down, wrapping her tail around her paws. "If you hadn't gotten exiled..." she cut off, eyes narrowing slightly in thought.

"What?" Duskflame pressed, pricking his ears. There was a reason he was here, and Fernbird could be about to tell him.

"Duskflame, StarClan have chosen you to unravel Violetpaw's murder." Fernbird meowed, looking down at her paws before back at Duskflame. Duskflame was shocked into silence. He had gotten exiled from DawnClan for killing her so he could find her killer?

"And you wouldn't have been able to get the motive you needed in DawnClan." Fernbird meowed, glancing as a massive dark tom with stars in his pelt padded over.

"Darkstar." Duskflame meowed, dipping his head to DawnClan's former leader.

"Duskflame." Darkstar meowed in return. "StarClan is grave you were exiled, but its time Violetpaw's killer gets its dose of justice." The large tom meowed, and both started to fade.

"No, wait! I have more questions!" Duskflame meowed, and woke up panting in his den.

"Are you done yowling?" A voice meowed, and Duskflame looked up to see Zap grunting. The light in the cave was dim, and most cats were sleeping in their nests. "You're going to tear apart you nest." Zap meowed sleepily, tucking his head to the side of his body and dozing off to sleep again.

Duskflame sighed and lay his head on his paws, but his mind was whirling too fast to go back to sleep. He arose quietly from his nest and crept from the smaller section and into the main cave, stalking out of the main cave and turning, leaping up onto the nearest rock, and leaping up from rock to rock, landing on the springy grass on top the mountain.

He trotted along the side of the mountain, and pricked his ears for any sound when he reached the field, and he leaned down to lap from the stream before turning and trotting to the edge of the flat top, sitting down and curling his tail around his paws.

Before him, forest stretched out for miles, and he could easily spot DawnClan territory, and the stream that cut DawnClan from SunClan. He sat for a long moment, eyes locked on the stream.

How was he supposed to find Violetpaw's killer?

"Doing some thinking?" Duskflame jumped and whirled around, letting out a sigh and forcing his fur flat when it was Niyol striding toward him, and Duskflame turned back and sat on the edge, looking at the forest, and Niyol sat beside him. "Out here in the middle of the night can be dangerous, you know?"

"Everywhere is dangerous." Duskflame murmured to the welcoming tom, not taking his eyes from the stream.

"Ah, true words spoken." Niyol meowed. "You know," Niyol looked at him. "Sometimes we have to accept the things that are thrown at us in life." Niyol meowed quietly, and Duskflame looked over quickly at him before sighing.

"It's easier said than done." Duskflame meowed gravely.

Somewhere nearby, a long, drawn out coyote howl sounded and echoed through the mountains, and Duskflame felt a chill go down his spine at the sound.

"Maybe we should get back inside." Niyol offered, getting to his paws and trotting toward the caves. Duskflame nodded and stood to follow him, looking down at the stream in the Clan territory before bounding after him.

**Alrighty, not as exciting as I hoped, but you know. :) review!**


	11. Chapter 9

**Okay, next chapter!**

**Elite369: Fernbird is Duskflame's mother. I had that in the last chapter, you must have missed it. And sorry, it's too late to change Russettail to their sibling, we're halfway through the story, and shes already got a part in the plot. If I changed it, it'd mess everything up.**

"Zap." Duskflame hissed to him, and the tom raised his head from his paws.

"What now?" The black and white tom meowed.

"I need you to do me a favor." Duskflame meowed to him. He had found Zap taking a nap in the sun in the meadow, and Wing and Feather were sharing tongues nearby. It was a nice day outside. There was only a warm breeze, and the sun shone brightly overhead.

"I don't do favors." Zap meowed, getting up to a sitting position. "But what is it?" A gleam of interest entered his eyes.

"I need to go back down there." Duskflame flicked his tail to the Clan territory. "And I need some one to go with me."

Zap looked down the mountain and blinked. "What for?" he meowed, returning his gaze back to Duskflame.

"Theres something I've got to do." Duskflame meowed, not taking his eyes off the stream below. "And I might need some help." He looked back at Zap, blinking slightly, eyes pleading.

"Does Niyol know you're going?" he meowed, tipping his head, and Duskflame shook his head.

"We won't be gone long. I just need to check some things out." Duskflame responded, and Zap arose to his paws, shaking out the grass from his pelt.

"Alright, we better leave right away."

Duskflame let out a sigh of relief and nodded, slipping over the edge of the mountain top and digging his claws into the earth of the mountain.

"Wait!" Duskflame let out a huff and leaped back up to the top as Wing bounded over, followed by Feather.

"Where are you going?" Feather meowed as she stopped beside her sister, eyes flickering from Zap to Duskflame.

"Just to the territories." Zap meowed, turning to trot down the edge of the mountain, and Wing looked to Duskflame, who shrugged and turned to follow Zap.

"Can we come?" Wing meowed, bounding over the edge and digging her claws in to keep from slipping.

Duskflame and Zap exchanged a glanced before Duskflame sighed. "Fine, sure. But do what we say. This could be very dangerous." he meowed, and Wing jumped in excitement and trotted ahead to catch up to Zap.

Feather trotted past, patting Duskflame's head with her tail. "Good tom." she meowed jokingly, and he snickered slightly and trotted down the hill.

They walked in silence for a long while, reaching the rocky clearing and continueing on after a short rest. Wing looked to him quizically. "Are you gonna tell us where we're going yet?" she meowed, and Feather and Zap both looked over to him as they trotted down the sloping path.

"That stream down there is where this cat died, and I got exiled for killing her." Duskflame meowed, noticing Wing and Feather inch away from him in fright. "Don't worry, I was framed. I want to go down there and take a look around." he meowed, and all three nodded.

"Who was this cat who died?" Wing meowed, slowing to match his pace.

"Her name was Violetpaw." He felt a lump in his throat form, and he tried in vain to swallow it down.

Wing seemed to notice the sadness in his green eyes. "Oh." she meowed quietly, kicking at a rock and sending it tumbling down the mountain. "I'm sorry." she meowed quietly, laying her tail on his shoulder in the act of comfort.

They reached flat ground soon after and trotted into the trees, all the cats silent for a moment, then trying to make small talk. When they were halfway through the woods, they stopped to catch some prey and ate it quickly before continueing on. It was sunhigh when they broke out of the trees, and before him spread another field, and then the Clan border. They trotted through the field, and Duskflame had to bat weeds out of their way every once in a while.

Finally, Duskflame could smell the Clan border and he stopped, the other stopping with him. Feather wrinkled her nose. "That smell." she meowed, sneezing.

Duskflame rolled his eyes at her over dramatization, and they turned to trot along the border until they were beside the tree. Duskflame took in a deep breath to see if any border patrols were nearby before crossing over the border. "Keep all your senses alert for any other smell." he whispered.

"How can you smell anything over that forest smell?" Feather huffed, and Duskflame stopped, dipping his head and tail dragging in the dust when they reached the spot where Violetpaw had died.

The others seemed to notice it, for they all grew somber and didn't speak. Duskflame reminded himself what he was here for and scented the air again, trotting forward with eyes narrowed. Dust had said he had poisened her with death berries, and he glanced around.

There were no death berries in sight, and he knew there was none in DawnClan territory. He leaped easily over the steam into SunClan territory and did the same, scenting the air before glancing around. No death berry bushes here, either.

He had been too focused on looking for death berries he hadn't smelt the border patrol.

"Trespassers!" Came an angry hiss, and from the bushes on the SunClan territory erupted a patrol of four cats. A speckled she-cat, who Duskflame recognized as the SunClan deputy, Specklesong, was standing in the lead. Behind her was her apprentice, Riverpaw, a small silver she-cat, and Flamecloud and Mistclaw.

Zap, Feather, and Wing all leaped over the stream to stand at Duskflame's side, baring their teeth, but Duskflame shook his head at them. He dipped his head to Specklesong.

"We're sorry, we're just passing trough, we don't mean any harm." he apologized.

"Well, you are in SunClan territory, and you'll be lucky to leave without punishment." Specklesong hissed, the fur along her neck raising slighty.

"Lets show them how we deal with trespassers." Mistclaw hissed, and the tom crouched, teeth bared.

Duskflame suddenly turned and streaked away down the stream, the other Outcasts following after slight confusion, and he heard other paws pounding behind them. Finally, they streaked out of Clan territory.

"Riverpaw! Stop, that's not our territory." he heard Flamecloud hiss, and the apprentice crossed back over the border with a hiss.

Duskflame stopped, panting when they reached the field, and turned to see the border patrol trotting away into the thin forest of SunClan.

"Let's get back before they decide to make sure we leave." Wing panted, and Duskflame glanced at the mountain before back at SunClan territory.

"You guys go ahead, I'll be back soon." he meowed quickly, and they all looked at him in surprise.

"That patrol would have ripped us apart, Duskflame!" Zap meowed, eyes wide.

"Don't worry, I won't get in trouble." Duskflame meowed, and three exchanged glances before sighing and nodding.

"Okay, but if you aren't back by sunset we're all coming down for your body." Wing meowed, only half humorously.

Duskflame nodded and watched as they hesitantly retreated, and he turned to trot back toward the border.

There was one more thing he needed to do.

**That last half was kinda rushed. My lap top is dieing, and America's Next Top Model is on, so sorry.**

**I also realized I haven't done any disclaimers so..**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything warriors. I only own the cats in this story.**

**Alright, review! Thanks**


	12. Chapter 10

**Thanks for reviewing, and thanks Elite369, about the Last Hope thing. I got while I was re-reading Bluestars Prophecy.**

**Oh, and I'd just like to mention, since Elite said something about this, WARRIOR cats do not know what a city is, but kittypets and loners can sometimes. These guys do.**

Duskflame trotted back toward the border, watching as Zap, Wing, and Feather walked away reluctantly. With a sigh he sat a few fox-lengths from the border, ears pricked, mouth open, gaze flickering around the area. All his senses were alert for any sound, sight, or scent.

He could smell strong SunClan scent, nevermind the fact he was sitting on the border, and it seemed to be close by. He could hear one set of pawsteps trotting toward him through the undergrowth. He could see a glimpse of fur through the thin trees.

"What're you doing at our border?" Came a hiss as a ginger she-cat leaped from the tree line, fur bristling, and crouched in front of him, lip curled in a snarl.

Duskflame only flicked his tail. "I... have some questions." he meowed, trying to look as at least as a threat as possible.

"Who says I'm going to answer them? I should take you to Nightstar just for being here." The ginger she-cat hissed back, blue eyes flaring.

Duskflame opened his mouth to speak, but the she-cat beat him to it. "You're Duskflame! From DawnClan." The she-cat exclaimed.

"Was from DawnClan, but-" The she-cat interrupted him.

"What? What happened?" she meowed, eyes wide. Duskflame recognized her as Sunscorch, a senior warrior

"That's a story for later. I have a question now." he meowed, and Sunscorch hesitated. "It won't take long, and it's nothing about SunClan."

Sunscorch seemed relieved, and she nodded. "Okay, what is it?" she meowed, eyes flashing with an unknown emotion.

"12 moons ago, when Violetpaw was killed on that stream," he flicked his tail toward the border that was a few fox lengths from them. "Did you see anything."

Sunscorch glanced at the stream, then hung her head. "Yes." she meowed sadly, eyes glazed with agony at the thought.

"You did?" Duskflame's ears pricked. "What did you see?"

"I saw..." Sunscorch took a deep breath, and Duskflame could tell she hadn't shared this with any other cat yet. "I saw a cat drown her."

The words hit Duskflame's heart like a stone, and he hung his head as well, sadness seeping into every bone of his body. "Did you see who?" he prompted, voice slow and quiet.

"No, there was too much splashing." Sunscorch meowed, and Duskflame winced visibly.

"Thankyou, Sunscorch, for sharing this with me." Duskflame meowed, glancing up at the sky. It was nearing sunset, and Duskflame stood, Sunscorch doing the same. "I must go now." he meowed, waving his tail to her as he turned and bounded away.

"Duskflame!" she called to him. He stopped and turned around to see her paused at the tree line. "Whatever you're doing, good luck." she meowed.

_I'm going to need it. _

_******_

"Duskflame." Came a hiss from nearby, and he opened his eyes drowsily, blinking them. "Duskflame!" It was louder this time, and he raised his head.

"What?" he hissed as Wing stood infront of him. "I was about to catch a mouse!"

"Theres a new cat outside." Wing meowed, and Duskflame immediately stood, licking down some of his black fur. Wing turned and bounded out of the den and sat down outside, eyes following something.

Duskflame followed after, and when he emerged he immediately saw Niyol speaking to a pale tabby she-cat, her fur a glowing white with faint marks of silver stripes and a light brown head and tail. She had bright blue eyes, and they flickered around nervously.

"Welcome to the Outcasts." Niyol murmured, and the rest of the cats said the same, Duskflame joining. "Duskflame and Wing can show you around the territory." he meowed, flicking his tail to the two. Duskflame stood, followed by Wing. They both trotted over to Niyol.

"This is Aurora." he meowed, gesturing to the pale tabby. "Aurora, this is Wing," Niyol nodded to the tortoiseshell she-cat. "And Duskflame." Duskflame nodded to her when she glanced over at him.

Wing immediately bounced over to the tabby. "Let's go!" she meowed, and Aurora seemed to be calmed by the lively she-cat. The three made their way out of the cave and up the rocks.

"So where do you come from?" Wing asked the she-cat, and Aurora flicked her ears.

"The city." Aurora answered, and Duskflame took the lead. Suddenly, he felt like that first day when Zap and Smokeheart had taken him back to the cave, Smokeheart questioning him while Zap trotted ahead. He felt like Zap, and Wing was like Smokeheart.

"Duskflame comes from the forest." Wing meowed, and Duskflame turned his head to them, nodding.

"The forest? You're one of those Clan cats!" Aurora exclaimed, eyes stretched wide. "Even the strongest rogue in the city feared you." she exclaimed. Duskflame could feel slight embaressment.

"Not all of us kill, though." he meowed humbly. "Why'd you leave?" he meowed, spinning the subject from himself to the new she-cat.

"I didn't like the violence." Aurora explained. "You'd see a new body every day." Her eyes grew somber and she quickly looked away.

"Wow." he meowed. "The warrior code forbids killing for no good reason." Duskflame explained, then sighed as he remembered why he was here.

Not every cat followed the code.

**Kinda short, boring chapters. No cliffies lately, but you know. Anyway, review please!**


	13. Chapter 11

**Alrighty, while Im getting tons of hits, hardly any reviews. If you like this story, guys, review, because Im losing my muse, and my stories tend to get discontinued if I lose it. Anyway, here's next chapter.**

Duskflame awoke the sun slanting into the cave, and he got to his paws, stretching, digging his claws into the mossy nest. With a yawn, he shook out his fur and sat to groom.

Once he finished grooming his black pelt, he got to his paws and trotted out of the den, glancing around. Niyol and Eel shared prey near the leaders den, and Wing and Feather shared tongues close by. Flash and Zap were mock fighting, while Smokeheart licked her belly tenderly, eyes warm. She would have her kits soon.

"Hey, Duskflame!" Aurora called as she trotted over, tail waving in the air. Duskflame and her had become good friends since she came here, going out to hunt nearly every day. Today was no different.

"Zap wants to know if you want to go hunting." Aurora meowed, and Duskflame glanced to where Zap and Flash had been practicing, but saw them finish up, and Zap turned to trot over to the two.

"Sure, let's go." Duskflame meowed, leading the way out of the cave, up the rocks, and toward the field, taking in a deep breath for prey. He could smell mouse somewhere nearby and dropped into a crouch, stalking forward until the small brown creature was a mere fox-length from him. He bunched his muscles to leap, but jumped in surprise when a flash of ginger fur came from the undergrowth, and he hissed as the mouse scurryed out of sight.

"Hey!" he snarled, sitting up, suddenly remembering that no ginger cat was on their patrol. Zap and Aurora trotted over to join him, fur bristling.

The ginger tom snickered at them, and a brown and white she-cat joined him, followed by a dark tabby.

"Aurora, hey!" Meowed the dark tabby, eyes glittering with anger at the she-cat, and Duskflame hissed, immediately ready to protect the other she-cat.

"_You _left _us._" Hissed the brown and white she-cat. "No need for the hostility."

Zap took a threatening step forward. "Get up." he snarled at them, and Duskflame knew these cats were from what the others called a city, the one on the other side of the mountain.

"Make us." The tabby hissed, taking a step forward as well. With an angry yowl, Zap leaped forward onto the tabby, and the brown and white she-cat leapt at Aurora, Duskflame crouched defensively as the ginger tom faced him.

The other tom leaped forward, and Duskflame crouched down and ducked away, striking him with an unsheathed paw as he passed, knocking him to the side. Duskflame snarled angrily at him. "Ah, you don't know Clan moves, do you, kittypet?" he snarled, leaping forward to dig his claws into the ginger toms belly, then Duskflame flipped over onto his back, dragging the kittypet with him and kicking up, kicking the ginger toms belly and knocking him away.

The ginger tom hissed and leaped to his paw, leaping forward toward Duskflame's legs, but Duskflame gave him a hard blow in the muzzle before he could reach him, knocking him away again. This cat was a weak fighter compared to Clan cats.

Duskflame watched as the ginger tom scampered into the undergrowth, and Duskflame turned to see Aurora pinned down mercilessly underneath the brown and white she-cat, and Duskflame leaped over her and batted her away with both paws, sending her over the mountain top edge, and she tumbled a ways down, then gained her balance and leaped down the rest of the mountain.

The tabby saw he was outnumbered and followed after his companions. Duskflame panted, seeing Aurora with a scratch in her side, and Zap with a bite mark on his chest. Both were marvelling at Duskflame.

"You fought so... wow!" Aurora exclaimed, eyes wide with admiration.

"Really? Clan moves can be pretty advanced..." Duskflame meowed, basking in the praise. "And the rogue I was fighting was fat on kittypet food. I'm guessing he was hanging around rogues, but had an owner." he shrugged, and Aurora just shrugged.

"Still, that was great." she purred, and Zap flicked his tail.

"Even though that was fun, let's get back." Zap meowed, and both Duskflame and Aurora nodded, turning toward the caves to trot back.

He blinked, eyes narrowing. He glanced over his shoulder, looking down the mountain, and saw the brown and white she-cat talking to an awefully familiar tabby tom, and Duskflame bristled slightly, holding back the urge to leap down the mountain.

That tabby was all too familiar.

**Originally, there wasn't supposed to be cliffies, but there needed to be one, since this stories endings have been boring. This chapter was short, but theres nothing else to add.**

**Anyway guys, PLEASE review.**


	14. Chapter 12

**Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I was busy and didn't have much time, and when I did, I got distracted xD. Anyway, NEXT CHAPTER**

He leaped forward at the tabby infront of him with a hiss, curving his paws into its shoulders and flipping himself onto the cats back, letting his weight make her fall before leaping away and turning with a hiss, batting her lightly in the face.

"I like it." Aurora said, shaking off the dirt from her fur, getting back to her paws. Duskflame waved his tail, turning to trot to the stream and taking a fill before sitting down and looking down at the Clan territory. Aurora joined him after taking her drink, sitting down next to him and following his gaze.

"You're always going to belong to DawnClan, aren't you?" she asked after a long moment of silence, curling her tail delicately around her paws.

Duskflame shrugged, gaze following the stream around a bend, where it led to the Star Cave, a place where the leaders and the medicine cats consulted to StarClan.

"I'll always be loyal to the warrior code." Duskflame meowed finally.

"But not your Clan?" Aurora questioned, turning to look at Duskflame, but Duskflame continued to look at the Clan territory.

"Not any of those Clans." Duskflame meowed quietly, watching a patrol of SunClan cats make their way to the border. They were too far away to see who they were, and they were dots against the ground.

"Why?" Aurora prompted.

Duskflame shrugged again. "I'm not really sure. It just doesn't feel right there." he meowed, eyes going to the DawnClan camp, where he had grown up, been raised in, knew all about. "It's different than it once was."

"Can I tell you something?" Aurora suddenly questioned, and Duskflame turned to her, gaze curious, and he nodded. "I saw a murder there."

Duskflame sat up straight, and his ears pricked. Had it been Violetpaw's murder?

"It was this black cat, and another cat, whitish gray, maybe, but I couldn't see them well, pushed her in, and this ginger tabby, or at least he looked ginger, he finished off the dirty work." Aurora swallowed, watching the stream. "That's where the murder was."

Duskflame's eyes widened. "You saw who killed Violetpaw?" he meowed, getting to his paws.

"Violetpaw? I guess?" Aurora meowed, cocking her head, blinking. "Who's Violetpaw?"

"This... friend of mine. She was..." Duskflame sighed, looking for a weird that didn't hurt him the most. "killed in the stream. She was a black cat too." he meowed. "How long ago was this?"

"A year, maybe." Aurora answered, and Duskflame blinked.

"A... year?"

"Oh, right, Clanners call it 12 moons." Aurora clarified, and Duskflame nodded.

"That's Violetpaw. Is there anything else you saw?" Duskflame asked, eyes wide and intense, and Aurora blinked, taking a small step back at the intensity.

"This wasn't just any old friend, was it?" Aurora meowed, some emotion flashing in her eyes until it was it gone, and it wasn't there long enough for Duskflame to know what it was.

"Was there anything else you saw?" Duskflame meowed again, voice impatient.

"No, I ran." Aurora meowed, shuffling her paws. "It looked like the ginger one saw me."

"Oh." Duskflame meowed, looking down, nodding slowly. "I'm sorry I came at you like that... but do you mind if I think some?"

Aurora nodded, getting up and trotting quickly away and bouncing down the rocks, disappearing down the side of the mountain. Duskflame sighed and turned, leaping over the stream and into the tall grass of the field. He let it swallow him, hiding his dark fur, and he lay down in the grass, letting the sun touch his back through the fronds, tucking his nose into his tail and staring ahead, and after a few long moments, and his eyes closed slowly.

"Duskflame." Came a whisper, echoing around quietly. "Duskflame." It was long and whispery, quiet in the background.

He opened his eyes, raising his head. He was back in StarClan. He leaped up, looking around quickly, eyes wide. Had he died in the meadow? Did some cat kill him? Did he die in his sleep?

"Duskflame." This time the voice was relieved, and he turned to see a beautiful, slim black cat looking at him with warm eyes.

"Violetpaw!" Duskflame meowed, rushing forward, and Duskflame buried his muzze in her neck fur, taking a deep breath, letting her fur wreathe around him.

Violetpaw let out a long purr, taking another step back to look at Duskflame, tipping her head in affection. "I've missed you so much." she meowed.

Duskflame laughed lightly, feeling his complete self again. "You already know what I've been doing the last 12 moons." he meowed, flicking his tail.

Violetpaw turned grave, and she nodded, looking down. "That's why I'm here, Duskflame."

Duskflame tipped his head, waving his tail slowly. "What... do you mean?"

"Duskflame, all you've done the last many moons was mope around the camp. StarClan have waited and waited for you to snap out of it but..." Violetpaw sighed, shaking her head slowly.

Duskflame flicked his tail. "Go... on." he meowed slowly.

"Duskflame, the day I died, so did you. But that doesn't mean you can't come back alive again, Duskflame. You can have a life too, outside of missing me." Violetpaw continued.

"You want me to not miss you?"

"I want you to miss me, I do. But it hurts to see you like that, I know you loved me, and I will never stop loving you, but I want you to be happy." Violetpaw meowed, glancing out to the side.

Duskflame blinked, swallowing hard. "So you're telling me to move on?" he meowed, looking up, but Violetpaw was gone. "Wait, no!" he yowled, and awoke in the field.

_What if I don't know how to move on?_

**Aww, poor Dusky... anyway, please review!**


	15. Chapter 13

**Hey guys, sorry its been so long. Spring break ended, so I cant update since Im at school, and when I get home, Im too tired to bother with updating. So sorry to say that updates will only be every weekend, if that.**

Duskflame glanced at the sky with a long sigh, digging his claws into the ground. He rose to his paws and shook the seeds from the grass out of his fur, glancing into the Clan territory. Just thirteen moons ago, he and Violetpaw could be hunting right now.

"Duskflame!" A voice came, and he pricked his ears, glancing over to see Aurora bounding towards him. She stopped, panting, shaking out her fur, before she continued. "Smokehearts giving birth." she meowed, and Duskflame immediately began to bound toward the cave, Aurora at his heels.

He leaped from the mountain top to a rock easily, then the other, misjudging one leap, his paws skidding across the rock, and he took another one, regaining his balance on the next rock over, glancing over to see he would have tumbled down and crashed into a wall of rocks. Leaping onto the cave entrance floor, he bounded in, fur sticking out. He glanced around to see Zap pacing outside the den where they had usually slept, and Wing and Feather sat side by side, flinching slightly at any sounds. Flash was on the other side of the cave, ears pricked. Niyol and Eel were nowhere to be seen.

Duskflame trotted over to Flash. "How long has she been giving birth?" he meowed to the tom, glancing at Zap, pacing back and forth.

"A while." Flash meowed, eyes training Zap as well. "She should almost be done." he added.

Duskflame nodded, feeling excitement tingling in his paws. Smokeheart had been the one to welcome him here. He would still be wandering the wilderness if it hadn't been for her.

Niyol appeared at the entrance of the den, speaking something to Zap that Duskflame couldn't hear, and the tom nodded, padding into the den. His murmuring voice echoed around, as if in a foreign language.

It was a long while after the birth, around sundown, that Duskflame trotted in to see Smokeheart. He guessed the queen must be exhausted, so he would only stay for a short while.

He say Smokeheart laying in the stray, eyes drowsy, two kits at her belly, sleeping peacefully. One was a large, for his age, black tom, and the other was a silver she-cat.

Smokeheart looked up as he entered, and Duskflame sat down not too far off. "What are their names?" he meowed.

"Aries," she meowed, gesturing to the black tom. "And Pisces." she meowed, nuzzling the silver she-cat.

"They're beautiful, Smokeheart." Duskflame meowed, gazing at the kits. They would have made great warriors if they had been born into a Clan. He got to his paws to leave the queen to sleep, trotting past Zap at the entrance, who was gazing at his mate and kits with pride in his gaze.

Duskflame had never felt lonlier.

_****_

Duskflame trotted out of the den to the main cave, glancing around with slitted eyes, deep in thought. He had an idea.

"Morning." Aurora chirped, trotting over, tail in the air. Duskflame nodded to her. "What're you thinking about?" Duskflame looked at her. She was more observant than he remembered.

"Do you think that it was strays that killed Violetpaw?" he meowed, cocking his head slightly. There had to be a silver and ginger cat somewhere in the city.

"Could be." Aurora meowed, voice thoughtful. "But how would you find out if they were?" she meowed, glancing at him.

"Only one way." he meowed, glancing around the cave. "Flash, Wing." he called in a whisper, and the two looked up, padding over, curious.

"I need a favor." he meowed, glancing from one to the other.

_****_

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Duskflame asked the three others. They stood on the edge of the mountain, and all four glanced over the edge to the other buildings.

"I've always wanted to see the city." Wing meowed, and Flash nodded, Aurora continued to stare at the mountain, and Duskflame watched her carefully. Finally, she nodded.

"What do we have to lose?" Aurora said with a shrug, and Duskflame's eyes flashed.

They had a lot to lose.

**Okay, so VERY sort chapter, I'm sorry, but I just keep getting distracted.**

**Okay, so question for my readers.**

**Who here has read Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater?**

**QUESTION DOUSE:**

**If you HAVE read Shiver, then who do you think would be good for the lead in the movie (coming out 2012, I think)**

**In my opinion, maybe Logan Lerman for Sam and Eliza Bennett for Grace, not sure.**


	16. AUTHORS NOTE :

**You guys are really gonna hate me after this authors note but...**

**I am no longer writing for Warriors. I'm sorry, but I like writing human romance so much better. **

**Pretty much, I think Im quitting FanFiction all together, and Im terribly sorry. I just don't even feel like reading this anymore...**

**But I am still writing, but no warriors. You can check out my YouTube page for my stories, TheNineteennintysix. I hate the name, but whatever. **

**You might not like it if...**

**1. You don't like Selena Gomez**

**2. You don't like Logan Lerman**

**3. You only read Warriors**

**or...**

**4. You don't like the pairing of Lolena (Logan and Selena)**

**I'm so sorry guys, but I just can't write Warriors anymore... So this could be my very last update...**


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